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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. toast — bread
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mug — a cup
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. spell — magic
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cap — a hat
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mug — a face
  17. spell — letters
  18. rock — music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pass — a permit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mug — to rob
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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