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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — music
  3. fall — the season
  4. lie — to recline
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. swing — in golf
  8. scale — in music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rule — a law
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — size or range

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