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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. branch — a division
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. object — to protest
  17. file — a document
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. object — an aim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. object — a thing
  24. foot — a measure

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