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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: chip · wax · file · patient · swing · tube · staff · can

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. tube — a container
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. file — a line of people
  5. swing — to play on
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. can — to be able to
  10. file — a tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — for betting
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. file — a document
  16. staff — employees
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — a tin
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chip — to eat
  23. swing — music
  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