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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — of ice
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. spell — magic
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — a trail
  14. track — a path
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. track — to keep track
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — letters
  23. sharp — exactly
  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