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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lie — to recline
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. toast — bread
  19. fine — all right
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lean — thin
  24. pit — a hole

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