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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 116 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: saw · mouse · fan · squash · file · field · fine · wax

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wax — to grow
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. file — a document
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. file — a tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. field — a subject

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