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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lean — thin
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. charge — a price
  9. cap — a lid
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. charge — in control
  18. cap — of ice
  19. charge — electricity
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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