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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — in music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — to come down
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. land — ground
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rash — hasty
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. craft — boats
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. key — for a lock
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rash — a series
  21. tear — to rip
  22. key — the most important part
  23. craft — a skill
  24. land — a country

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