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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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. arm — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mug — a face
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stand — to bear
  19. band — a ring
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rock — music
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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