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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mug — a face
  3. file — a tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. game — a match
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. board — to get on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. file — a line of people
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wax — to grow
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mug — to rob
  21. board — a committee
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mug — a cup
  24. foot — the bottom

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