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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. file — a document
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rock — a stone
  7. net — after costs
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. net — in sport
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. band — a ring
  16. net — for catching
  17. rock — music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. file — a tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stand — on your feet

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