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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: spell · cabinet · coach · net · fall · wax

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — in sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fall — the season
  9. net — for catching
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spell — magic
  17. wax — to grow
  18. net — after costs

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