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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. wax — to grow
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cap — a hat

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