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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cap — of ice
  4. firm — a company
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pass — a permit
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — decided
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. firm — steady

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