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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. march — music
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. key — in music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. squash — the sport
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fan — a supporter

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