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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. content — happy
  7. cue — for pool
  8. content — the amount
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fall — the season
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hand — help
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lie — to recline
  21. suit — in cards
  22. lean — to bend
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cue — a signal

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