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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. toast — bread
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. date — the fruit
  14. capital — money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — to come from
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. track — a song
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. capital — a city
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. track — a path

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