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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.

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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: wax · deal · court · bulb · row · coach · lean · tear

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. row — a line
  3. deal — to handle
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — for sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. court — of law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — thin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lean — to bend
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tear — from crying
  18. court — of a king
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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