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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: mouse · saw · wax · date · file · snap · staff · rule

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. staff — employees
  5. rule — government
  6. staff — employees
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. staff — a stick
  10. snap — to click
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. file — a document
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. date — the fruit
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rule — a law
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. file — a tool
  24. rule — to rule out

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