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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. mark — a grade
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — to grow

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