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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — of ice
  5. track — a path
  6. row — a line
  7. object — to protest
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. object — a thing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — a song
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. track — to keep track

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