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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.

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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: band · fall · saw · can · coach · prune · wax · cabinet

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. band — a ring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — the season
  13. band — a music group
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — to drop

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