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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wax — to grow
  5. suit — in cards
  6. kick — in football
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. craft — boats
  12. suit — to fit
  13. file — a document
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mine — for digging
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stem — to come from

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