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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. season — in sport
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — a song
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fine — all right
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — of the year
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

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