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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — a group
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lie — to recline
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. club — for golf
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cap — a lid
  23. suit — clothes
  24. kick — in football

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