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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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 document
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — a line
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wax — to grow
  6. file — a tool
  7. row — to paddle
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fine — all right
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. file — a line of people
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  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