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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: coach · leaves · rock · pitcher · wax · mine · last · cabinet

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rock — a stone
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — music
  11. last — to go on
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. last — final
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. last — finally
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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