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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lean — thin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spring — the season
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spring — of water
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bear — the animal

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