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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cap — of ice
  11. craft — boats
  12. cap — a lid
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stem — to come from
  17. clip — to cut
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wax — to grow
  23. clip — a video
  24. wax — in the ear

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