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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wax — to grow
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. drill — a practice
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pit — in a race
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. drill — army training
  19. field — for sport
  20. pit — a hole
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pound — for dogs

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