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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 · pound · rule · rock · file · cabinet · chest · foot

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rule — government
  11. chest — a box
  12. rock — music
  13. file — a document
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chest — of your body
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. file — a tool
  24. chest — of your body

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