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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: wax · file · rush · date · mark · leaves · chip · roll

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. file — a line of people
  10. roll — a cake
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. file — a document
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mark — a trace
  17. file — a tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chip — for betting
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chip — to eat
  23. roll — a list
  24. leaves — to go away

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