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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. season — of the year
  8. object — an aim
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bear — the animal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. squash — the sport
  14. object — a thing
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mark — a trace
  20. object — to protest
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — to put up with

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