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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — bread
  3. field — a subject
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — to grow
  6. field — for sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. field — farmland
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fall — to drop
  14. date — the fruit
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fall — the season
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — to tire

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