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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: jam · ground · chair · suit · wax · face · bank · coach

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bank — of a river
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. face — to confront
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. face — part of the head
  21. ground — a position
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — clothes
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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