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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: mug · wax · trunk · bulb · file · rule · kick · chair

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. file — a document
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. mug — to rob
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wax — to grow
  18. file — a tool
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mug — a face
  23. file — a line of people
  24. kick — in football

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