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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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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: wax · race · jam · file · perch · racket · mate · wave

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mate — to breed
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. file — a document
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mate — a partner
  14. file — a tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. race — humankind
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — a contest
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wax — to grow
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. race — the arms race

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