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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. firm — a company
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. firm — decided
  12. wax — to grow
  13. firm — steady
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cap — of ice
  16. season — in sport
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. season — of the year

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