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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mug — to rob
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pop — music
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chair — a leader
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mug — a face
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pop — to visit

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