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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. file — a tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mate — a friend

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