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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cap — a hat
  5. key — in music
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. key — for a lock
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lean — thin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lean — to bend
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cue — for pool

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