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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. board — to get on
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cold — not warm
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — a committee
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. can — a tin
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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