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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 116 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: wax · bank · ball · perch · coach · last · lash · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. ball — a dance
  8. spring — of water
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ball — a great time
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bank — for money
  23. last — final
  24. perch — for a bird

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