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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 120 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: wax · march · season · wind · fine · coach · fan · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. season — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wind — moving air
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fine — all right
  17. march — the month
  18. season — of the year
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. march — music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stand — to bear

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