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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cap — a hat
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. drill — army training
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cap — a lid

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