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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cap — a hat
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rock — a stone
  17. net — after costs
  18. cap — a lid
  19. file — a document
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. net — in sport
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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