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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 · pass · coach · rush · bark · fan · wax · mug

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wax — to grow
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. ground — a position
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — a face
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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