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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: wax · coach · march · staff · bark · mark · kid · lean

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. kid — child
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — the month
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lean — to bend
  19. march — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lean — thin
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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