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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 112 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
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: wax · game · calf · leaves · coach · trunk

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. game — a match
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wax — to grow
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. calf — of the leg

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