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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: pitcher · bass · wax · leaves · coach · fall · board · temple

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — the season
  6. board — a committee
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wax — to grow
  21. board — to get on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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