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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: file · pop · board · band · toast · object · wax · lean

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lean — to bend
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. file — a document
  6. board — to get on
  7. object — to protest
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pop — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pop — soda
  14. band — a ring
  15. lean — thin
  16. file — a tool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. toast — bread
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. object — an aim
  24. band — a music group

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