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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: wax · track · sharp · file · wake · fine · dip · scale

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. dip — to sink
  4. scale — in music
  5. file — a tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. file — a document
  11. scale — size or range
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. file — a line of people
  16. track — a path
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fine — all right
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fine — high quality
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fine — a penalty

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