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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. staff — a stick
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — shares
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mate — a partner
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lie — to recline

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