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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
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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: ground · stand · season · bear · wax · cold · deal · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ground — crushed
  8. season — in sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. season — of the year
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cold — not warm
  24. ground — a position

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