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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. club — a group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. club — for dancing
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bore — to tire
  12. content — happy
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. club — for golf
  17. content — the amount
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stem — to come from

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