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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: race · ground · mug · band · board · wax · hide · wave

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. board — a committee
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mug — a face
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. race — the arms race
  12. board — to get on
  13. ground — crushed
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. band — a music group
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. race — a contest
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. race — humankind
  24. ground — a position

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