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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.

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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 · lie · file · arm · ball · march · wax · bulb

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — a series
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. march — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lie — to recline
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — of a plant

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