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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: cell · chair · pop · lie · mine · hide · current · wax

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pop — soda
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. current — electric
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pop — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. current — of water
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mine — for digging
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pop — to visit
  19. current — happening now
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wax — to grow
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lie — an untruth

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