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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: stand · chest · cue · content · wax · coach · bay · rush

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. content — happy
  11. chest — a box
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. content — the amount
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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