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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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wax — to grow
  9. drill — army training
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. drill — a practice
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cap — a lid
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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