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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: key · cap · lie · dip · wake · ruler · stand · wax

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. key — for a lock
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. key — in music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. dip — to dunk

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