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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lean — thin
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. file — a line of people
  9. charge — a price
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. charge — in control
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rash — a series
  17. file — a tool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. face — to confront
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. file — a document

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