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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wax — to grow
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chair — a leader
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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