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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.

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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: hide · face · wax · pitcher · season · stand · coach · mark

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mark — a grade
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — to confront
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. season — in sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wax — to grow

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