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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: key · file · saw · roll · racket · snap · press · wax

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wax — to grow
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. snap — to click
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. key — in music
  15. press — to push
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. roll — a list
  18. file — a document
  19. press — newspapers
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. key — for a lock
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. saw — the tool
  24. racket — a loud noise

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