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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
468
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: nail · pitcher · root · lie · file · ball · perch · wax

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The kitten curled into 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. file — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — the fish
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ball — a dance
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. file — a document
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a round shape
  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