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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: rule · dip · wax · cap · mate · object · fall · perch

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — a partner
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. fall — to drop
  11. object — to protest
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — a hat
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fall — the season
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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