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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cap — a hat
  4. row — a line
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rule — a law
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rule — government
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lie — to recline
  23. can — a tin
  24. wax — in the ear

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