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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.

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: fork · band · date · bore · board · wax · hand · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hand — help
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. band — a music group
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. board — a committee
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. board — to get on
  19. fork — in a road
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. band — a ring
  24. hand — in cards

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