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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: pass · wound · cold · wax · can · lean · cap · pop

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pop — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cold — not warm
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — thin
  14. pop — soda
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pass — a permit
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wax — to grow

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