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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · lash · fine · firm · band · wax · ball · board

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fine — all right
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. firm — a company
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. firm — decided
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. board — a committee
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. firm — steady
  24. board — to get on

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