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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 120 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: bowl · mark · chest · wax · cabinet · file · snap · content

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. snap — to click
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. content — happy
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chest — a box
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mark — a grade
  19. content — the amount
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a trace
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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