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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · cap · wax · present · mate · race

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. present — the time now
  3. race — a contest
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wax — to grow
  6. present — there
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. present — a gift
  9. mate — to breed
  10. race — humankind
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rule — government
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rule — a law
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wax — in the ear

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