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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. shower — rain
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bear — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wax — for sculpting

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