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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. file — a line of people
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. roll — a list
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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