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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. current — happening now
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. current — electric
  14. field — farmland
  15. prune — to trim
  16. field — for sport
  17. lie — to recline
  18. field — a subject
  19. wax — to grow
  20. current — of water
  21. can — a tin
  22. pound — a weight
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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