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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wax — to grow
  5. press — to push
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fall — the season
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. object — to protest
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — newspapers
  22. object — an aim
  23. press — a publisher
  24. object — a thing

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