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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 116 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: fork · wind · file · wax · sharp · bulb · ruler · hide

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. file — a document
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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