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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. track — a path
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pop — soda
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stock — goods
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. stock — shares
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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