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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. press — a publisher
  4. race — the arms race
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wax — to grow
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. race — humankind
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rest — a break
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. race — a contest
  21. cap — of ice
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. press — to push

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