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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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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: lie · rock · cabinet · wax · cap · fan · bowl · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. kid — child
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rock — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fan — a supporter

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