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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a document
  5. chair — a leader
  6. file — a tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bound — obliged
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bound — certain
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rock — music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ball — a round shape

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