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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — a jug

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