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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: fall · coach · stock · row · wax · kick · leaves · ruler

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stock — goods
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. row — a line
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — the season
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stock — shares
  15. kick — in football
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. row — to paddle
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wax — to grow

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