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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rest — what's left
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ball — a dance
  12. board — to get on
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — a break
  17. board — a committee
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cap — of ice
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cap — a hat

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