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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — after costs
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — the cause
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. root — of a word
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cue — for pool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — in sport
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. net — for catching
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pop — soda
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pop — music

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