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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: rash · coach · bay · wax · race · cap · roll · cabinet

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — a contest
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. race — humankind
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wax — to grow
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rash — a series

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