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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — the time now
  3. fine — high quality
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — all right
  6. present — there
  7. dip — to sink
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — a gift
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wax — to grow
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wake — a trail
  24. scale — in music

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