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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: can · cap · chest · wax · roll · dip · key · object

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. key — for a lock
  5. roll — a list
  6. can — a tin
  7. chest — a box
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. object — an aim
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wax — to grow
  20. object — to protest
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chest — of your body

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