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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pass — a permit
  4. object — an aim
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chest — a box
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chest — of your body
  12. capital — money
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wax — to grow
  15. capital — a city
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chest — of your body

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