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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: mug · pass · fine · file · wax · last · bear · dip

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mug — a face
  10. last — final
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fine — all right
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. last — finally
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. last — to go on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wax — to grow
  24. file — a document

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