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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. file — a tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. object — to protest
  12. wax — to grow
  13. snap — to click
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. current — electric
  22. fine — all right
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. temple — a place of worship

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