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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · file · wax · track · ground · wave · net · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. tube — the underground
  3. net — after costs
  4. track — a path
  5. net — in sport
  6. tube — a container
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ground — crushed
  9. file — a document
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cap — of ice
  12. file — a tool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — for catching
  20. track — a song
  21. ground — a position
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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