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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rash — a series
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rock — a stone
  16. swing — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mate — to breed

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