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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: hide · fall · lie · wave · wax · cap · clip · cue

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. clip — to cut
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fall — the season
  8. cue — a hint
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. clip — a video

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