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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rest — a break
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wax — to grow
  10. file — a document
  11. mug — a face
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. file — a tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lean — to rest against

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