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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. file — a tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wax — to grow
  8. file — a document
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rock — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pitch — completely

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