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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a hat
  6. object — to protest
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cap — a lid
  9. object — an aim
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. key — in music
  13. file — a document
  14. object — a thing
  15. cap — of ice
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. file — a tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. scale — in music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lie — to recline

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