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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rash — a series
  3. pass — a permit
  4. season — in sport
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. season — of the year
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bulb — for light
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cap — of ice
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. roll — a list

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