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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rule — a law
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — government
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. net — in sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fine — all right
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mark — a grade
  20. net — for catching
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rash — a series
  24. net — after costs

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