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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.

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: ball · key · rush · wax · sharp · nail · present · file

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. present — the time now
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rush — hurry
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — clever
  13. key — in music
  14. present — a gift
  15. key — the most important part
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wax — to grow
  19. present — there
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. file — a tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — for a lock

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