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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spell — letters
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. press — to push
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. field — for sport
  11. spell — magic
  12. wax — to grow
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — a company
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. field — a subject
  20. press — a publisher
  21. foot — a measure
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. field — farmland

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