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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · file · rest · fan · hide · bass · wax · cabinet

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. file — a line of people
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. file — a tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a document
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bass — low music

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