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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wax — to grow
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. swing — music
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — all right
  24. fall — the season

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