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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. file — a document
  4. lie — to recline
  5. file — a line of people
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cell — a phone
  8. file — a tool
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bank — of a river

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