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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rash — a series
  5. content — the amount
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. file — a tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. file — a document
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. suit — to fit
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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