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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 124 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — to recline
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fine — all right
  12. squash — the sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. foot — a measure
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ruler — for measuring

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