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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
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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: date · lie · wax · file · tube · can · root · row

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. root — of a word
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — to be able to
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. date — the fruit
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wax — to grow
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. root — of a plant
  20. row — a line
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. root — the cause
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lie — to recline

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