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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cap — of ice
  4. face — to confront
  5. game — a match
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pass — a permit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — a friend
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cap — a hat
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. face — to point toward

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