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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cell — a phone
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chip — for betting
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. suit — in cards
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wax — to grow
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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