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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
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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: mouse · bowl · last · roll · hide · file · wax · fan

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. last — finally
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. last — final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. file — a tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. file — a document
  19. roll — a cake
  20. file — a line of people
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. last — to go on
  23. roll — a list
  24. hide — to keep secret

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