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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wax — to grow
  12. kick — in football
  13. lie — to recline
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stock — shares
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. racket — for tennis

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