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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ground — the earth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ground — a position
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fine — high quality

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