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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
468
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: capital · board · plane · track · file · bank · wax · chair

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bank — of a river
  4. track — to keep track
  5. board — a committee
  6. chair — a leader
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bank — for money
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — a path
  16. file — a line of people
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. board — to get on
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — a tool
  22. capital — a city
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wax — in the ear

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