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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 120 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. press — newspapers
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. press — to push
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — to grow
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wave — of the sea

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