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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. last — final
  3. wax — to grow
  4. root — of a plant
  5. lean — thin
  6. last — finally
  7. root — of a word
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lean — to bend
  14. root — the cause
  15. mug — a face
  16. club — a group
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. last — to go on
  20. club — for golf
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. content — the amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. club — for dancing

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