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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — hurry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. cap — a hat
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fine — high quality

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