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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cap — a hat
  3. scale — in music
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cap — a lid
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. shower — rain
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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