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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. board — to get on
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fall — the season
  24. pass — a permit

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