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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: bear · wax · craft · pop · press · coach · fork · band

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wax — to grow
  5. craft — a skill
  6. press — to push
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. craft — boats
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. press — a publisher
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pop — soda
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pop — to visit
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. band — a ring
  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