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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 120 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: file · fine · pop · wax · kick · bat · fan · dip

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wax — to grow
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. file — a document
  7. pop — music
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pop — soda
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pop — to visit
  15. file — a line of people
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — in football
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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