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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: season · coach · can · cue · kick · wax · mate · saw

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. season — of the year
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. can — a tin
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kick — in football
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wax — to grow
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mate — to breed
  24. season — in sport

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