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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — to visit
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. wax — to grow
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spell — letters
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — exactly

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