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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
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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: stick · coach · bass · cap · wax · rush · charge · mate

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mate — a partner
  4. charge — in control
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — the fish
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mate — to breed
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cap — a lid

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