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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. file — a document
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a great time
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ball — a dance
  13. file — a tool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pound — to hit hard

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