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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wax — to grow
  8. row — a line
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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