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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rule — a law
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. cap — a hat
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rule — government
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. perch — the fish
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitch — completely

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