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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rock — music
  4. firm — decided
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cap — a lid
  7. firm — steady
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cap — of ice
  13. firm — a company
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wax — to grow
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — a stone

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