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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. toast — bread
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chest — a box
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kid — child
  15. chest — of your body
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cue — a signal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cue — for pool
  24. sharp — clever

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