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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — soda
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pop — to visit

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