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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: chest · firm · rush · deal · leaves · wax · mug · file

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. firm — decided
  3. file — a document
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. file — a tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mug — a face
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. file — a line of people
  14. firm — a company
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. chest — a box
  18. mug — to rob
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. firm — steady
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. deal — to handle

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