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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.

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 · face · coach · stick · march · trunk · pitcher · present

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. march — music
  3. present — a gift
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. face — to confront
  6. march — the month
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — the time now
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. face — part of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — the month
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — there
  21. face — to point toward
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wax — for sculpting

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