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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bass — low music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wind — moving air
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pass — a permit
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bass — the fish
  18. squash — to crush
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cap — a lid
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pit — in a race

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