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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 · wax · snap · dip · perch · staff · cabinet · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — a stick
  12. file — a document
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. snap — to click
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. file — a tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — to grow
  23. file — a line of people
  24. perch — the fish

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