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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cap — a hat
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mug — a face
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cold — an illness
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ball — a dance
  24. sharp — exactly

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