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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mate · can · wax · rest · pop · clip · lash

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pop — to visit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pop — soda
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mate — a partner
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — music
  18. clip — a video
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mate — to breed
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rest — what's left
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wax — for sculpting

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