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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wax — to grow
  3. charge — a price
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — electricity
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. charge — in control
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. race — humankind
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. chest — of your body
  17. race — a contest
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — for betting
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chip — in a computer

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