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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cap — a lid
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cell — a phone
  6. chest — a box
  7. track — a path
  8. file — a line of people
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. file — a tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cap — a hat
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. track — a song
  23. file — a document
  24. track — to keep track

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