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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cap — a lid
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mark — a trace
  14. capital — money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mark — a grade
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. capital — a city
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — to tire

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