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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ground — the earth
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. press — to push
  16. lie — to recline
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — a position
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. board — a committee

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