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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: coach · kid · stem · key · fork · wax · swing · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. swing — music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — child
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. swing — to play on
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. key — in music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. swing — in golf
  24. kid — to tease

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