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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: racket · march · bank · last · wax · wound · board · stick

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. last — to go on
  3. march — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. last — final
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — finally
  10. board — a committee
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. board — to get on
  13. march — the month
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bank — for money
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — the month
  24. bank — of a river

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