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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 120 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.

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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lie — to recline
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. file — a line of people
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. file — a document
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — a hint

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