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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cell — in biology
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. safe — out of danger

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