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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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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wax — to grow
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rule — a law
  13. bass — the fish
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. drill — army training
  18. rule — government
  19. file — a document
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. can — to be able to
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bore — to drill

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