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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wax — to grow
  3. last — to go on
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. last — final
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rock — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — finally
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a dance
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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