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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: file · roll · net · present · dip · wax · field · calf

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. present — there
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. roll — a list
  10. net — for catching
  11. wax — to grow
  12. roll — a cake
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. field — a subject
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. present — a gift
  18. net — in sport
  19. field — for sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. field — farmland
  22. net — after costs
  23. file — a document
  24. calf — of the leg

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