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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 · wax · snap · mouse · straw · bank · saw · nail

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — to grow
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. file — a document
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. snap — to click
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bank — of a river
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — dry grass

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