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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.

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: bore · chair · fork · coach · track · band · pass · wax

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. track — a path
  6. pass — a permit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bore — to tire
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. track — a song
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. coach — a trainer

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