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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pass — a permit
  9. track — a song
  10. hand — help
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. track — a path
  14. lie — to recline
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. content — the amount
  18. wax — to grow
  19. content — happy
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — to keep track
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. pass — to spend time

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