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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · hide · kick · toast · wax · cabinet · craft · spell

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. craft — boats
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cap — a lid
  10. toast — bread
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spell — magic
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spell — letters
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. kick — in football
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wax — in the ear

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