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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cap — a lid
  3. net — for catching
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cap — a hat
  6. last — finally
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. net — in sport
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. net — after costs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. last — final
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. row — a line
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cabinet — ministers

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