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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. file — a tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rash — a series
  9. rock — music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. file — a document
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rash — hasty
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. leaves — to go away

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