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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 116 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: lie · mark · cap · squash · field · mug · wax · rest

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mark — a grade
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mug — a face
  10. cap — a hat
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rest — what's left
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rest — a break
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. field — a subject

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