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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pop — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tube — a container
  8. rock — music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rock — a stone
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ground — a position
  17. file — a tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. file — a line of people

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