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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · hide · pass · lean · file · chair · wax · rush

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — a leader
  12. file — a tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lean — thin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. file — a document
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chair — a professorship

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