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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. present — a gift
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. capital — a city
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — a hint
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cue — a signal
  11. present — the time now
  12. cap — a hat
  13. capital — money
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. present — there
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cue — for pool

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