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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.

Make a worksheet

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: coach · can · bay · wax · root · spring · fork · spell

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. can — to be able to
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wax — to grow
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — a tin
  14. root — the cause
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — letters
  20. spring — the season
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. spring — of water
  24. root — of a word

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