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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. file — a document
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bass — low music
  11. mark — a trace
  12. file — a line of people
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bass — the fish
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chip — in a computer

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