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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: wound · wax · cabinet · pop · lie · fine · pitcher · cap

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — a penalty
  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