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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lie — to recline
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ball — a dance
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. swing — music
  15. rule — government
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rule — a law
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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