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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tube — the underground
  5. march — music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. file — a document
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tube — a container
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a tool
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. march — the month
  21. pound — a weight
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ruler — a monarch

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