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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — soda
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. scale — size or range
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. scale — in music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pop — music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. plane — a tool
  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