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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. swing — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. can — a tin
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. scale — in music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bound — certain
  22. can — to be able to
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — to recline

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