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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. last — final
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spell — magic
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. race — the arms race
  11. file — a document
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wax — to grow
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. last — finally
  22. suit — to fit
  23. last — to go on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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