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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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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: mate · fork · wave · coach · band · wax · wind · stick

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mate — a friend
  5. band — a ring
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — to grow
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. band — a music group
  14. mate — a partner
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mate — to breed

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