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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wax — to grow
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — a stick
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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