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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: bank · cap · racket · bore · wax · file · ground · lean

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. cap — a hat
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. file — a tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lean — thin
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bank — of a river
  13. file — a document
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cap — a lid
  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