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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 116 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.

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

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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: wax · net · bore · coach · bay · band · last · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. band — a ring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. net — in sport
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. band — a music group
  14. last — to go on
  15. net — for catching
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. net — after costs
  21. last — finally
  22. board — to get on
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — final

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