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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lean — thin
  3. cap — a hat
  4. march — music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. march — the month
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. march — the month
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bulb — for light

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