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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 · plane · arm · can · jam · tear · firm · wax

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. can — a tin
  4. file — a line of people
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wax — to grow
  7. plane — a tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. file — a document
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. firm — decided
  17. tear — from crying
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. can — to be able to
  23. firm — steady
  24. tear — to rip

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