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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a document
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. can — a tin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lean — thin
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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