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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: board · face · wax · fork · suit · mug · court · band

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. board — a committee
  3. suit — clothes
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. court — for sport
  7. face — to confront
  8. mug — to rob
  9. band — a ring
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. suit — in cards
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mug — a face
  22. board — to get on
  23. suit — to fit
  24. face — to point toward

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