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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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wax — to grow
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. scale — in music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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