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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cap — a lid
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — magic
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fall — to drop

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