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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 116 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
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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: cabinet · lie · wax · club · last · cap · mate · pitcher

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for golf
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. last — to go on
  9. club — a group
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. last — final
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wax — to grow
  19. last — finally
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lie — an untruth

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