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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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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: last · wind · pit · suit · coach · calf · wax · bear

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. suit — clothes
  3. last — to go on
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — to fit
  14. last — final
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bear — the animal

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