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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 124 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: mark · wax · wound · race · staff · suit · band · shower

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. staff — employees
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a music group
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wound — an injury
  9. shower — rain
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. race — humankind
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. suit — clothes
  16. band — a ring
  17. wax — to grow
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. staff — employees
  21. wound — an injury
  22. race — the arms race
  23. shower — to wash
  24. suit — to fit

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