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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. chest — a box
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lie — to recline
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stock — goods
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stock — shares
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. file — a tool
  24. wax — for sculpting

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