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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: mate · root · chest · wax · fall · coach · object · wave

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chest — of your body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — the season
  5. object — to protest
  6. mate — a partner
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. object — an aim
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. object — a thing
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chest — a box

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