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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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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 · pound · bat · fall · ruler · net · wax · bay

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. file — a document
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. net — after costs
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — in sport
  19. file — a tool
  20. net — for catching
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fall — the season
  24. pound — to hit hard

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