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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — to bear
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — in music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. game — a match
  8. wax — to grow
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pass — a permit
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — wild animals

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