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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. present — a gift
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. current — happening now
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mug — to rob
  9. present — the time now
  10. file — a tool
  11. current — of water
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — electric
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wind — moving air
  18. present — there
  19. lean — thin
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mug — a face

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