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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — the time now
  3. cap — a lid
  4. present — there
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — to recline
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. present — a gift
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bass — low music
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cap — a hat
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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