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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — a group
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. club — for golf
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — goods
  17. lean — thin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — shares

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