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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: wax · coach · track · calf · cabinet · fan · cell · spell

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spell — letters
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — magic
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. spell — a short time
  9. track — a song
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cell — a phone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cell — in biology
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. track — to keep track

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