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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: lie · cabinet · safe · chest · charge · wax · fan · file

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. charge — electricity
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — a price

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