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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 · firm · tube · mouse · shower · bark · wax · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. shower — rain
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. firm — decided
  5. race — the arms race
  6. file — a document
  7. race — a contest
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. file — a tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. file — a line of people

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