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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lie — to recline
  8. charge — electricity
  9. snap — to click
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. charge — a price
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — a committee
  18. charge — in control
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. board — to get on
  22. wax — to grow
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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