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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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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: cap · deal · wax · last · wake · season · coach · firm

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. last — to go on
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. firm — decided
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. last — finally
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — of the year
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wake — a trail
  18. last — final
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. season — in sport
  21. cap — a hat
  22. firm — steady
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cap — a lid

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