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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: nail · file · fork · wax · fine · foot · spring · kid

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. spring — a coil
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. file — a tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. file — a document
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. kid — child
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. nail — for a hammer

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