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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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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: pass · chest · fine · coach · arm · wax · file · snap

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. file — a document
  3. chest — of your body
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. file — a tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. chest — a box
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. snap — to click
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — all right
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pass — to spend time

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