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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. toast — bread
  4. fine — all right
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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