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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — the season
  19. suit — clothes
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rock — a stone
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wax — to grow

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