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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — music
  4. branch — a division
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lie — to recline
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. court — of a king
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cold — not warm

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