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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ground — the earth
  4. file — a document
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. clip — a video
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. file — a tool
  10. ground — a position
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rule — government
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rule — a law
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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