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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cue — a hint
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lie — to recline
  7. file — a document
  8. land — ground
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cue — for pool
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. row — a line
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wax — to grow
  23. file — a tool
  24. cue — a signal

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