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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — a skill
  4. present — there
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. present — a gift
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spring — the season
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. sharp — clever
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. present — the time now
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. craft — boats
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — of water
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. dip — to sink

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