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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 116 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: wax · wind · mate · safe · row · cap · dip · season

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cap — a lid
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. season — of the year
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mate — a partner
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. season — in sport
  14. wind — moving air
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cap — of ice
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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