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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pound — a weight
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wax — in the ear

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