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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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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: hand · craft · file · wax · net · suit · clip · lie

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. craft — a skill
  5. clip — to cut
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. clip — a video
  10. lie — to recline
  11. craft — boats
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — for paper
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. net — in sport
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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