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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: dip · wax · game · nail · leaves · board · file · pitcher

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. file — a document
  3. game — a match
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. game — wild animals
  17. board — a committee
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to sink
  24. board — to get on

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