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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: wax · press · rule · spring · fan · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spring — the season
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. press — newspapers
  8. spring — a coil
  9. file — a tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rule — a law
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spring — of water
  15. file — a document
  16. press — to push
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — government

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