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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: ground · cabinet · wax · racket · straw · pass · shower · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. shower — rain
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ground — a position
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cap — of ice
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cap — a lid

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