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

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cue — for pool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chest — of your body
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cue — a signal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. roll — a list
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chest — a box
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cap — a hat

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