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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. file — a document
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rest — a break
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. file — a tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — to keep track
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. club — a group
  14. staff — a stick
  15. file — a line of people
  16. club — for golf
  17. staff — employees
  18. tear — from crying
  19. club — for dancing
  20. track — a path
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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