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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
468
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: tear · toast · dip · leaves · field · coach · fan · wax

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. field — a subject
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tear — from crying
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. dip — to sink
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. tear — to rip
  18. toast — bread
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. field — farmland
  22. tear — from crying
  23. field — for sport
  24. leaves — to go away

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