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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lie — to recline
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. game — wild animals
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — to visit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. game — a match
  23. can — a tin
  24. lie — an untruth

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