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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: season · row · pit · kick · wax · bowl · coach · wake

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. row — a line
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — in sport
  7. kick — in football
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — a trail
  10. season — of the year
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pit — a hole
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. kick — with a leg

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