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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tube — the underground
  13. squash — the sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cap — a hat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — a container
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cap — a lid

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