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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 120 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
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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: track · wax · coach · key · rest · mine · deal · rule

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rule — government
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. key — the most important part
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. rule — a law
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. deal — to handle
  19. key — in music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. track — a song
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rule — to rule out

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