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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. club — a group
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. club — for dancing
  14. present — there
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to click
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. present — a gift
  22. cap — of ice
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. present — the time now

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