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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: file · bore · deal · foot · wax · scale · rock · fine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. deal — to handle
  15. scale — in music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rock — music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wax — to grow

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