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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · game · ball · rush · lie · fan · arm · sharp

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rush — hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ball — a great time
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wax — to grow
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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