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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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