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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cell — in biology
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. press — to push
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rest — a break
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rest — what's left
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wax — in the ear

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