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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. season — in sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. present — there
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. present — a gift
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. band — a music group
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lie — to recline
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rock — music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. season — of the year
  23. present — the time now
  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