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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
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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: game · file · hide · charge · face · lie · wax · rash

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. file — a line of people
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rash — hasty
  5. file — a document
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. face — to point toward
  12. game — a match
  13. rash — a series
  14. face — to confront
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. charge — a price
  18. file — a tool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. charge — in control
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lie — an untruth
  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