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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 116 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 · firm · shower · wax · track · dip · lean · staff

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — a path
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. shower — to wash
  9. track — a song
  10. staff — a stick
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lean — thin
  13. shower — rain
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. file — a document
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wax — to grow
  24. staff — employees

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