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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: coach · wake · chair · land · cap · clip · dip · pass

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. clip — a video
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. clip — for paper
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pass — a permit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cap — a lid
  23. land — a country
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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