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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. perch — the fish
  6. content — happy
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fine — all right
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fine — high quality
  23. perch — for a bird
  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