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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — to grow
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. file — a tool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rule — government
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a line of people
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rule — a law
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. file — a document
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bank — for money
  24. wax — in the ear

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