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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · wax · rest · fine · scale · race · game · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. race — a contest
  9. rest — a break
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — high quality
  13. band — a music group
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. game — a match
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. game — wild animals
  22. band — a ring
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com