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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 120 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. file — a document
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spell — letters
  6. club — for dancing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. suit — to fit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. file — a tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spell — magic
  19. club — for golf
  20. spell — a short time
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. club — a group

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