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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: rest · coach · mine · plane · rash · wax · board · deal

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rash — hasty
  24. plane — an aircraft

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