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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. firm — decided
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — steady
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. firm — a company
  13. bass — low music
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. tear — from crying
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pass — to succeed

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