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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 · arm · wave · wax · craft · jam · bass · prune

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. craft — boats
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bass — low music
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. craft — a skill
  13. prune — to trim
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. prune — to trim

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