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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rest — a break
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wound — an injury
  5. file — a document
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cell — in biology
  8. file — a tool
  9. face — to confront
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cell — a phone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — boats
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wax — to grow
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. face — part of the head
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rest — what's left

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