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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 120 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 · wake · cap · wax · bay · leaves · row · band

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. band — a music group
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. row — a line
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. file — a tool
  18. row — to paddle
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wax — to grow

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