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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 · wax · bowl · rush · saw · ruler · bank · capital

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — a city
  4. saw — the tool
  5. file — a tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. file — a document
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bank — of a river
  22. capital — money
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wax — for sculpting

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