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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. swing — to play on
  6. spell — magic
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — music
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spell — a short time
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. file — a document
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — letters
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fan — a supporter
  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