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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · wax · mate · cue · pitch · lie · capital · mug

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mug — to rob
  5. capital — a city
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mug — a face
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mate — to breed
  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