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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. file — a document
  8. cue — a signal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. branch — a division
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. kick — in football
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wax — to grow
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cue — for pool

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