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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. file — a document
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. face — to confront
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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