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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: coach · saw · squash · wake · wax · wound · cap · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. squash — to crush
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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