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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. file — a line of people
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. content — the amount
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — to grow
  20. season — in sport
  21. file — a document
  22. season — of the year
  23. can — a tin
  24. safe — out of danger

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