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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. land — ground
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. land — a country
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pop — soda
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. land — to come down
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bass — the fish
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bass — low music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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