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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · date · rest · cap · file · object · sharp · drill

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — of ice
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. drill — a practice
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. object — an aim
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wax — to grow
  19. drill — army training
  20. object — to protest
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. drill — the tool
  24. object — a thing

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