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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. swing — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wax — to grow
  15. clip — to cut
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. wax — for sculpting

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