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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. file — a tool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. board — to get on
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. board — a committee
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a flat piece
  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