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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: scale · drill · firm · bound · wax · dip · pass · file

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bound — obliged
  3. file — a document
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. firm — a company
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. scale — size or range
  8. drill — a practice
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bound — certain
  11. wax — to grow
  12. drill — army training
  13. file — a tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bound — tied together
  16. firm — steady
  17. scale — in music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pass — a permit
  20. drill — the tool
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. firm — decided
  24. scale — for weighing

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