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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: file · field · suit · drill · wax · fall · pitcher · mate

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. file — a document
  3. fall — the season
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — a subject
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mate — a partner
  15. suit — in cards
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. field — for sport
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mate — a friend
  23. field — farmland
  24. drill — army training

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