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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: board · stem · rush · pound · coach · wax · firm · straw

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. firm — steady
  7. board — to get on
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. board — a committee
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. firm — decided
  21. stem — to come from
  22. firm — a company
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stem — a stem cell

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