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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 120 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: suit · band · mine · wax · straw · safe · pound · board

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. suit — in cards
  5. board — a committee
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pound — a weight
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. suit — clothes
  13. board — to get on
  14. band — a music group
  15. wax — to grow
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. suit — to fit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a ring
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. straw — dry grass

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