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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cap — a hat
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wax — to grow
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rest — what's left
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fine — all right
  19. rest — a break
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cap — a lid
  24. perch — for a bird

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