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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: coach · sharp · stem · perch · lash · trunk · wax · march

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stem — to come from
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. march — music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. coach — a trainer

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