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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bear — the animal
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chip — to eat

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