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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — humankind
  3. march — the month
  4. cap — a hat
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. race — a contest
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. march — the month
  15. cell — a phone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cell — in biology
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cap — of ice
  22. march — music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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