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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: present · hide · track · craft · pit · file · fan · wax

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. file — a line of people
  3. track — a path
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. present — the time now
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. file — a document
  13. present — a gift
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pit — in a race
  18. present — there
  19. file — a tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. craft — a skill
  24. track — a song

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