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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 · arm · lean · mate · wax · can · nail · wound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a partner
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — to be able to
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lean — thin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wound — an injury
  14. file — a document
  15. mate — a friend
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. file — a tool
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wound — an injury
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. can — a tin

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