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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: cap · racket · wave · wax · coach · wake · rash · lie

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rash — a series
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rash — hasty
  24. racket — for tennis

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