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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 · jam · net · wax · spell · roll · mine · ruler

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spell — magic
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. net — for catching
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mine — for digging
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. roll — a list
  12. net — after costs
  13. spell — a short time
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. spell — letters
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. net — in sport

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