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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cap — a hat
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. face — to confront
  10. deal — to handle
  11. squash — to crush
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cue — a hint
  15. face — to point toward
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. face — part of the head
  24. deal — an agreement

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