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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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — a tin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. can — to be able to
  8. file — a tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — rain
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mate — a partner
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wax — to grow
  21. shower — to wash
  22. file — a line of people
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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