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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a match
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cold — an illness
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to click
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fine — high quality
  24. hide — to keep secret

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