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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: rash · file · craft · ball · chest · press · leaves · wax

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. craft — boats
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. file — a document
  12. press — to push
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. file — a tool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. ball — a great time
  24. leaves — to go away

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