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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
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: pop · kick · wax · racket · band · ball · patient · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. band — a ring
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pop — music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a dance
  13. band — a music group
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pop — to visit
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pop — soda
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kick — in football

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