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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — hurry
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — to grow
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wax — for sculpting

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