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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. firm — decided
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. last — final
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. object — to protest
  10. firm — steady
  11. object — a thing
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. firm — a company
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. object — an aim
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. last — to go on
  23. wax — to grow
  24. last — finally

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