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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: wax · lie · tear · row · mouse · trunk · swing · spell

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tear — from crying
  5. spell — magic
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. row — to paddle
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. row — a line
  13. swing — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. lie — to recline
  22. swing — to play on
  23. tear — to rip
  24. row — a quarrel

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