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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cap — a lid
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a ring
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. mark — a trace
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lie — to recline
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cap — a hat
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cap — of ice
  23. current — of water
  24. wax — for sculpting

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