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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: file · wax · lie · snap · clip · charge · key · pit

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lie — to recline
  4. clip — to cut
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a line of people
  7. snap — to click
  8. charge — a price
  9. file — a tool
  10. pit — a hole
  11. charge — electricity
  12. clip — a video
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. charge — in control
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. file — a document
  22. key — for a lock
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wax — to grow

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