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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bass — the fish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — size or range
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. object — to protest
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. club — for golf
  19. bass — low music
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. scale — in music

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