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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cold — not warm
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — thin
  23. cap — of ice
  24. sharp — with an edge

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