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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
468
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: rash · coach · wax · sharp · object · scale · tube · bark

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rash — hasty
  7. scale — in music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. object — an aim
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. object — to protest
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rash — a series
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. object — a thing

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