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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. tube — a container
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. scale — in music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tube — the underground
  10. press — to push
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ball — a great time
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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