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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cap — a lid

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