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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wax — to grow
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cap — a hat
  5. net — in sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bore — to drill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — for pool
  18. net — for catching
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bore — to tire
  24. net — after costs

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