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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pound — a weight
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tube — a container
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. band — a ring
  10. wax — to grow
  11. tube — the underground
  12. file — a tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. band — a music group
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. spell — letters
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spell — magic
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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