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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
468
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: leaves · fine · clip · toast · file · pound · wax · bulb

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fine — all right
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. clip — for paper
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. toast — bread
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. file — a document
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bulb — for light
  16. file — a tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. clip — a video
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wax — in the ear

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