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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: wax · board · sharp · chest · rule · suit · coach · firm

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chest — of your body
  5. firm — a company
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — clothes
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chest — a box
  11. suit — to fit
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. suit — in cards
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — a law
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — to get on
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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