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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — after costs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — in sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. content — the amount
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chair — a leader
  14. season — of the year
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. net — for catching
  23. content — happy
  24. season — in sport

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