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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: foot · wax · rest · pitcher · suit · coach · calf · sharp

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. suit — clothes
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. suit — in cards
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wax — to grow
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rest — what's left

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