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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: scale · wax · file · fan · clip · firm · temple · can

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. clip — to cut
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. scale — size or range
  7. firm — a company
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. scale — in music
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. firm — decided
  22. can — to be able to
  23. firm — steady
  24. scale — for weighing

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