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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fall — the season
  5. field — a subject
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cue — a signal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. date — the fruit
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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