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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 · sharp · tear · drill · rush · cabinet · ball · wax

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — army training
  13. file — a document
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wax — to grow
  20. drill — the tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wax — for sculpting

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