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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. track — a song
  3. wax — to grow
  4. track — to keep track
  5. file — a document
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — boats
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. file — a tool
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. clip — to cut
  17. track — a path
  18. craft — a skill
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. clip — for paper
  22. file — a line of people
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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