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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — hasty
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. band — a ring
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wax — to grow
  13. band — a music group
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rash — a series
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rule — a law
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rule — government
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lie — an untruth

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