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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: rest · wax · rush · saw · sharp · rule · track · fan

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. track — a song
  4. rest — a break
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rule — a law
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — government
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. track — a path
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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