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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cue — a signal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lie — to recline
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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