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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cell — in biology
  3. band — a ring
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a music group
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. scale — in music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. game — a match
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wax — to grow

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