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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: suit · wax · bark · file · scale · nail · coach · press

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. suit — in cards
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — in music
  16. file — a document
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bark — to shout
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. press — to push
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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