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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wax — to grow
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stock — shares
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. file — a line of people
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. lean — thin
  12. file — a document
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. file — a tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stock — goods
  24. lean — to rest against

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