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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. file — a tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — to grow
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. march — music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — the month
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. file — a document
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a line of people
  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