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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
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: pit · wax · bear · coach · rush · track · bark · arm

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. track — a path
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — a song
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pit — a hole
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — in a race
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wax — to grow

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