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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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. rash — hasty
  4. object — to protest
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — an aim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rash — a series
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. file — a tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a document
  22. object — a thing
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wax — to grow

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