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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: coach · pitcher · hide · rule · straw · wax · rest · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rule — government
  8. rest — a break
  9. rule — a law
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — what's left
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rule — to rule out

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