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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rock — music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. capital — a city
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rock — a stone
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. scale — in music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — size or range
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. capital — money
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wax — in the ear
  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