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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wax — to grow
  13. key — for a lock
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. game — a match
  16. key — in music
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. file — a line of people
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. file — a tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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