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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · wax · band · patient · board · cabinet · scale · racket

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. board — to get on
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. board — a committee
  7. band — a ring
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wax — to grow
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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