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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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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: rule · squash · fine · snap · bound · racket · wax · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rule — a law
  6. squash — the sport
  7. file — a line of people
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. squash — to crush
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — all right
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rule — government
  24. fine — a penalty

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