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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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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: dip · rule · wake · mine · coach · stand · net · wax

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. net — after costs
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. net — for catching
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. net — in sport
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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