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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 116 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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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: racket · lie · coach · rest · present · wax · fork · rock

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. present — a gift
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rest — a break
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — there
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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