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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 · band · hide · bore · bay · rule · wax · lie

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rule — a law
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. band — a music group
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rule — government
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bore — to drill

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