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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: wax · bat · track · coach · mouse · board · mine · saw

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. board — to get on
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. track — a path
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a committee
  11. bat — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — to grow
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mine — for digging
  24. coach — a trainer

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