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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. content — happy
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fine — high quality
  9. capital — a city
  10. mug — a face
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fine — all right
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mug — to rob
  20. content — the amount
  21. capital — money
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lie — an untruth
  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