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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. net — after costs
  4. content — the amount
  5. wax — to grow
  6. net — in sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. board — to get on
  9. net — for catching
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — a hat
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cap — of ice
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. board — a committee
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a face

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