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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. file — a document
  4. hand — in cards
  5. swing — music
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. file — a tool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — a stick
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. hand — help
  22. swing — to play on
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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