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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
468
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: wave · fan · pound · wax · key · bore · date · file

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bore — to tire
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. key — for a lock
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. file — a tool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. file — a document
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. key — in music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. key — the most important part

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