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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — to breed
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mate — a partner
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spell — a short time
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer

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