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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — of the year
  12. suit — in cards
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fall — the season
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. season — in sport
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fall — to drop

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