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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: wax · lash · board · degree · band · net · track · tube

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. band — a music group
  3. board — a committee
  4. track — a path
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. tube — a container
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. degree — temperature
  11. track — to keep track
  12. board — to get on
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. band — a ring
  17. net — after costs
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. net — for catching
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. track — a song
  24. net — in sport

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