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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: lie · lean · rash · cold · wax · pit · cue · ground

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — a position
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pit — a hole

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