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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. file — a document
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pound — a weight
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. hand — help
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wax — to grow
  18. toast — bread
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wake — a trail
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. file — a tool

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