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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. face — to confront
  4. cell — in biology
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. firm — decided
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — a company
  17. object — a thing
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — steady
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chair — a professorship

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