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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: cap · can · wax · lie · firm · cold · ruler · mate

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — a hat
  5. firm — a company
  6. cap — of ice
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — a tin
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. firm — steady
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wax — for sculpting

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