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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.

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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. board — to get on
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mug — a cup
  18. land — ground
  19. mug — a face
  20. lie — to recline
  21. board — a committee
  22. land — a country
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. jam — in traffic

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