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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — a hat
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. firm — a company
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tube — a container
  17. cap — of ice
  18. firm — steady
  19. rule — a law
  20. firm — decided
  21. cap — a lid
  22. can — a tin
  23. rule — government
  24. wax — for sculpting

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