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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: wax · date · present · bore · rock · rash · spell · file

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rash — hasty
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. present — a gift
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rash — a series
  12. spell — letters
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. present — the time now
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wax — to grow
  18. present — there
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — a stone
  24. date — the fruit

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