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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: lie · content · lean · wax · file · date · last · racket

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lean — to bend
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. file — a document
  7. content — the amount
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. last — final
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — thin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. last — to go on
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. content — happy
  20. file — a line of people
  21. last — finally
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. file — a tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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