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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: bay · wax · mine · cap · sharp · saw · pop · jam

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pop — music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mine — for digging
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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