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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. last — to go on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. last — finally
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. key — in music
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — the most important part
  12. shower — rain
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. last — final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. craft — a skill
  21. shower — to wash
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rest — a break
  24. wax — to grow

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