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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. degree — from a university
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. file — a document
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. bank — of a river
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wax — to grow
  16. craft — boats
  17. degree — temperature
  18. file — a line of people
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bank — for money
  24. rash — on the skin

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