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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · bear · cabinet · wax · stick · season · nail · dip

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a line of people
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. season — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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