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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
468
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: can · arm · file · wax · sharp · land · spring · mouse

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. file — a tool
  5. land — to come down
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. file — a line of people
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spring — the season
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — of water
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — ground

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