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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fine — all right
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. suit — in cards
  12. race — the arms race
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. race — humankind
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. race — a contest
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mug — to rob
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — clothes

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