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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. court — of a king
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. shower — rain
  6. mine — for digging
  7. court — of law
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. court — for sport
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. root — the cause
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. shower — to wash
  24. root — of a word

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