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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cue — a hint
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. file — a tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. board — a committee
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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