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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: fine · wax · shower · kick · stick · mate · temple · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. file — a document
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — in football
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mate — a friend
  13. shower — rain
  14. wax — to grow
  15. shower — to wash
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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