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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rule — a law
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hand — help
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. row — a line
  16. branch — a division
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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