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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.

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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. row — a line
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mug — a face
  21. file — a line of people
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. file — a document
  24. wax — in the ear

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