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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. kid — to tease
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. craft — boats
  7. cap — of ice
  8. tube — the underground
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. kid — child
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tube — a container
  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