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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rule — government
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. suit — to fit
  11. file — a tool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bound — tied together
  14. file — a document
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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