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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cell — a phone
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention

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