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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 116 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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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: bear · bank · coach · racket · wax · wind · pound · chair

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pound — a weight
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wind — moving air
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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