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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. content — happy
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. tear — from crying

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