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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. file — a document
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stand — to bear
  12. kid — child
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cap — a hat
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mug — to rob
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rock — music
  21. cap — of ice
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mug — a face
  24. deal — an agreement

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