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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: pass · cabinet · cap · key · kid · wax · tube · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cap — of ice
  7. tube — a container
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kid — to tease
  18. key — in music
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. kid — child
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cap — a hat

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