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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lean — thin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. date — the fruit
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — on the calendar

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