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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: hand · wax · stand · sharp · bear · rock · coach · rest

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rock — music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rest — a break
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stand — to bear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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