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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. kick — in football
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fine — all right
  5. cap — a lid
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cap — of ice
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rock — music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wax — in the ear

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