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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. board — to get on
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. mark — a grade
  20. board — a committee
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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