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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 112 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bound — certain
  3. face — to confront
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — tied together
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lean — to bend
  10. file — a document
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lean — thin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bound — obliged
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. file — a tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — to get on

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