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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.

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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: root · stand · mate · rest · ground · band · wax · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. band — a music group
  4. root — the cause
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wax — to grow
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ground — a position
  11. band — a ring
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stand — to bear
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rest — a break
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ground — crushed
  23. board — to get on
  24. stand — for spectators

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