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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
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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: rash · ball · wake · coach · bark · rest · wax · scale

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ball — a dance
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — a series
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a great time
  11. scale — in music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rest — a break
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ball — a round shape

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