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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wax — to grow
  4. field — farmland
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — a hat
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. plane — a tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — of ice
  17. field — for sport
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — in sport
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. field — a subject
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fall — to drop

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