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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. season — of the year
  7. march — the month
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lie — to recline
  10. season — in sport
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. kid — child
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. track — a path
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. track — a song
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wax — to grow

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