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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. cap — a lid
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cap — a hat
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — a thing
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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