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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a tool
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wax — to grow
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. spring — the season
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. file — a document
  12. spring — of water
  13. cue — a hint
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cue — for pool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. deal — to handle
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cue — a signal
  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