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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. dip — to sink
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rest — a break
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wax — to grow
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rest — what's left
  14. file — a document
  15. chest — a box
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. trunk — of a tree

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