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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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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 · wax · mark · bay · tube · tear · chip · firm

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tube — a container
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. firm — steady
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. firm — a company
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mark — a grade
  17. tear — from crying
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. firm — decided
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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