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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: roll · hand · coach · mate · pass · shower · lie · wax

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. shower — to wash
  11. roll — a list
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. roll — a cake
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. shower — rain
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hand — in cards

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