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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 120 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: rock · board · bank · bear · wax · band · pass · march

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rock — music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. pass — a permit
  10. board — to get on
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. march — music
  20. band — a ring
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bank — for money
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bear — the animal

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