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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: kid · wax · file · saw · roll · degree · tube · firm

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wax — to grow
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. file — a tool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. degree — temperature
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tube — the underground
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. roll — a cake
  24. degree — an amount

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