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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. kick — in football
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. band — a music group
  11. can — a tin
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chair — a leader
  15. deal — to handle
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a ring
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. deal — an agreement

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