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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. dip — to sink
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cap — a hat
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. file — a line of people
  24. leaves — lets stay

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