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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. sharp — clever
  4. race — a contest
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chair — a leader
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. race — humankind
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. race — the arms race
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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