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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 · game · rush · stock · rock · stem · cabinet

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a document
  4. game — wild animals
  5. file — a tool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rock — music
  18. stock — shares
  19. game — a match
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stem — of a plant

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