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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 · mark · tube · chair · file · bound · dip · lean

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. file — a document
  6. dip — to sink
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lean — thin
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bound — certain
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lean — to bend
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tube — a container
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. file — a tool

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