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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. press — newspapers
  7. drill — army training
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lean — thin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lean — to bend
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cap — of ice
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cap — a lid
  24. press — to push

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