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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: dip · hide · coach · wax · rule · chest · bowl · roll

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. roll — a list
  5. chest — of your body
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wax — to grow
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chest — a box
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — a law
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bowl — a football final

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