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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: bore · snap · file · chair · scale · wax · rock · deal

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bore — to drill
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bore — to tire
  8. scale — in music
  9. snap — to click
  10. scale — size or range
  11. file — a line of people
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rock — music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. file — a document
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rock — to move gently

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