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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lie — to recline
  3. track — a song
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. track — to keep track
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. deal — to handle
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rock — a stone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rock — music
  24. track — a path

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