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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a ring
  3. object — a thing
  4. present — a gift
  5. object — an aim
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. present — the time now
  8. band — a music group
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wax — to grow
  16. present — there
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. object — to protest
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. game — a match
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. snap — to click

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