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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wax — to grow
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fall — to drop
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. key — for a lock
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. key — in music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cap — of ice
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fall — the season
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. key — the most important part
  24. safe — out of danger

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