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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. board — to get on
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a document
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. lie — to recline
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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