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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wax — to grow
  5. march — the month
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. march — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — the month
  17. track — a song
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lie — an untruth

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