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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.

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: wound · saw · cap · lie · squash · file · wax · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. file — a document
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — of ice
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. firm — a company
  18. cap — a lid
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wound — an injury
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. firm — steady
  24. lie — to recline

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