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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · spring · wax · stem · racket · safe · saw · rule

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stem — to come from
  3. file — a tool
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. spring — the season
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — a coil
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a document
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — of water
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. file — a line of people

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