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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.

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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 · spell · coach · trunk · fork · last · fan · pass

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fork — in a road
  4. spell — letters
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. spell — magic
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. last — to go on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spell — a short time
  14. last — finally
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. last — final
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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