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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. season — in sport
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — for catching
  6. wax — to grow
  7. season — of the year
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — after costs
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — in sport
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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