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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.

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: mine · stick · ball · wax · staff · race · coach · trunk

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. staff — employees
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ball — a great time
  24. staff — employees

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