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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: ball · rush · staff · wax · capital · stick · calf · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — employees
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rush — hurry
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. staff — a stick
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ball — a great time
  24. calf — of the leg

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