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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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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: lie · pit · rest · toast · bowl · hand · lean · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lean — thin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. toast — bread
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — a hole
  19. hand — help
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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