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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — for sport
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rash — a series
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. court — of a king
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. court — of law
  24. hide — to keep secret

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