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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: cap · wax · rock · club · coach · mate · wake · kick

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — a group
  15. rock — music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mate — a partner
  18. kick — in football
  19. cap — of ice
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wake — a trail

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