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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. season — in sport
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. season — of the year
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — to recline
  15. scale — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pop — music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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