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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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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: mouse · file · mine · wax · wave · snap · fork · bulb

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bulb — for light
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. file — a document

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