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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 · pit · tube · file · foot · bay · pass · fan

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. file — a document
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tube — a container
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. file — a tool
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wax — to grow

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