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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: coach · calf · pound · clip · march · wax · firm · rock

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. firm — decided
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. march — the month
  6. wax — to grow
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. firm — a company
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. clip — a video
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. clip — for paper
  20. firm — steady
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rock — music
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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