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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: wax · key · mine · deal · rest · file · fan · bear

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wax — to grow
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. key — in music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. key — the most important part
  20. file — a tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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