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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rest — a break
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. last — final
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. squash — to crush
  14. last — to go on
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — finally
  19. rest — what's left
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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