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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.

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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: foot · wax · firm · fork · band · press · race · coach

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wax — to grow
  5. race — the arms race
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. firm — steady
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. firm — a company
  14. press — to push
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. firm — decided
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. press — newspapers
  22. band — a music group
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. band — a ring

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