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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.

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: lie · fan · degree · foot · wax · racket · last · wake

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. degree — from a university
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. last — finally
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — to grow
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. last — to go on
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. last — final
  20. wake — a trail
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — a supporter

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