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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 124 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. craft — boats
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cap — of ice
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cap — a lid
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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