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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kick — in football
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ground — a position
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rock — a stone
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mine — belonging to me

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