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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
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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: fine · wax · bound · ball · coach · rash · straw · pit

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bound — certain
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ball — a great time
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wax — to grow
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ball — a dance
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fine — a penalty

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