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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: row · file · object · tube · ball · wax · mug · fall

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. mug — a face
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ball — a great time
  6. row — a line
  7. tube — a container
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. file — a tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ball — a dance
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. file — a line of people
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  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