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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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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: kid · bulb · coach · pit · nail · wax · bowl · rest

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rest — a break

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