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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: tube · march · wax · board · lash · track · stick · band

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. march — music
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. march — the month
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. band — a music group
  18. board — a committee
  19. tube — a container
  20. track — a path
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a ring

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