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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. object — a thing
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. object — to protest
  5. file — a document
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. court — of a king
  12. squash — to crush
  13. court — of law
  14. squash — the sport
  15. file — a tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. object — an aim
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. wax — to grow

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