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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cap — a hat
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — a trail
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cap — a lid
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. deal — to handle
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spring — of water
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. spring — the season
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wax — to grow

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