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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: last · fork · leaves · hide · coach · wound · ball · wax

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fork — in a road
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. last — to go on
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wax — to grow
  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