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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. capital — money
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. board — to get on
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stock — shares
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stock — goods
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. capital — a city
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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