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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 · scale · deal · rush · safe · mine · file · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. file — a document
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. file — a line of people
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rush — hurry
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — in music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. file — a tool
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wax — to grow

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