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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: wax · deal · coach · hide · cap · pass · wake · chip

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cap — a hat
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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