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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — size or range
  3. craft — a skill
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cap — a lid
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. snap — to click
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. march — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wax — to grow
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cap — a hat
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. craft — boats
  24. cap — of ice

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