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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: fine · coach · bore · date · wax · tube · lash · branch

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fine — high quality
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. branch — a division
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. date — the fruit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fine — all right
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tube — a container

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