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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 120 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: swing · leaves · wax · file · key · game · fine · foot

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. file — a document
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fine — high quality
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wax — to grow
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. key — in music
  13. fine — all right
  14. file — a tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. file — a line of people
  18. foot — a measure
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. key — for a lock

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