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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. charge — in control
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lean — thin
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — a price
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lean — to bend
  19. charge — electricity
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. file — a document
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bowl — to roll

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