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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 ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a song
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cue — a signal
  6. track — a path
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lean — thin
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. march — music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ball — a dance
  17. file — a tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ball — a great time
  20. march — the month
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. march — the month
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. track — to keep track

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