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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ground — a position
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — to grow
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — a break
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. dip — a sauce

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