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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rock — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cap — a lid
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — a video
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rock — a stone

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