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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: track · drill · pound · hide · file · foot · plane · wax

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. plane — a tool
  9. track — a song
  10. file — a document
  11. track — to keep track
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pound — a weight
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wax — to grow
  17. drill — army training
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. track — a path
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. plane — an aircraft

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