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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spring · fine · fork · hand · row · coach · wind

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — in a road
  3. row — a line
  4. fine — all right
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hand — in cards
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spring — of water
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spring — the season
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wind — moving air
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — a coil
  21. hand — help
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wax — in the ear

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