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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.

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: row · wax · wake · bore · perch · fall · file · suit

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wax — to grow
  9. row — a line
  10. suit — clothes
  11. file — a document
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wake — a trail
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fall — the season
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a line of people
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — to tire

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