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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mark — a trace
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — letters
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. drill — army training
  12. lie — to recline
  13. club — for golf
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mark — a grade
  17. spell — magic
  18. mate — a friend
  19. drill — the tool
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mate — a partner
  23. club — a group
  24. wax — in the ear

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