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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. chest — a box
  3. toast — bread
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. race — the arms race
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chest — of your body
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wax — to grow
  12. track — a song
  13. bore — to drill
  14. track — to keep track
  15. race — a contest
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. track — a path
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cap — a hat
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cap — a lid
  24. race — humankind

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