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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. file — a tool
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ground — a position
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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