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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — the sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. clip — to cut
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. clip — a video
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wax — to grow
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. lie — to recline
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ball — a dance
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. clip — for paper
  24. ball — a great time

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