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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — from a university
  6. roll — a list
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. degree — temperature

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