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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
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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 · mine · mouse · march · suit · wax · season · cold

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. season — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. march — music
  15. season — of the year
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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