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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
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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: lean · ball · charge · wax · wake · coach · present · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cap — of ice
  7. charge — a price
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. charge — in control
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cap — a lid
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — there
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lean — thin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — to rest against

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