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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.

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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: coach · object · rash · trunk · scale · wax · content · last

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rash — a series
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. last — finally
  6. content — the amount
  7. object — to protest
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rash — hasty
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. last — to go on
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. content — happy
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. object — an aim
  20. last — final
  21. scale — in music
  22. object — a thing
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. trunk — of a car

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