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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 120 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stand — to bear
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spell — a short time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spell — letters
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — to recline
  23. spell — magic
  24. squash — the vegetable

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