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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. land — ground
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — to recline
  15. land — a country
  16. charge — in control
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. charge — a price
  19. land — to come down
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bass — low music

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