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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: wax · rock · coach · band · stick · content · mate · pound

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. band — a ring
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. content — the amount
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rock — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mate — a partner
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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