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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mate — a friend
  3. row — a line
  4. wax — to grow
  5. present — the time now
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pop — soda
  9. present — a gift
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. present — there
  24. wound — an injury

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