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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 120 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: bear · chair · ball · file · bulb · coach · wax · rest

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. file — a document
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bear — to put up with

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