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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fine — all right
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — to keep track
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fine — a penalty

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