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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: file · prune · drill · wax · stick · pitcher · leaves · stock

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. file — a tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a document
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. drill — army training
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stock — shares

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