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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. land — ground
  3. plane — a tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. season — in sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cue — a signal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. land — a country
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cap — a hat
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chair — a leader

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