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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 · mouse · cap · hand · scale · wax · wake · dip

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cap — of ice
  5. scale — size or range
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hand — help
  17. scale — in music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wax — to grow
  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