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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: last · suit · wax · coach · object · cap · field · race

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. field — for sport
  4. suit — in cards
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. field — farmland
  8. object — an aim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. suit — clothes
  13. object — to protest
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. field — a subject
  17. object — a thing
  18. last — finally
  19. race — a contest
  20. wax — to grow
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. cap — of ice

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