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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: wake · chest · coach · bound · squash · wax · foot · toast

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — certain
  11. foot — a measure
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bound — obliged
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chest — of your body
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. wax — for sculpting

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