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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 120 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 · wax · saw · cap · pop · present · mate · object

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. cap — a lid
  2. present — there
  3. cap — of ice
  4. object — a thing
  5. pop — soda
  6. wax — to grow
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mate — a partner
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. object — to protest
  15. mate — a friend
  16. object — an aim
  17. present — the time now
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cap — a hat
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mate — to breed
  23. present — a gift
  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