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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: chip · tube · wax · mate · firm · pop · bound · file

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. firm — steady
  3. bound — tied together
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mate — a friend
  6. chip — for betting
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — a company
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pop — music
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. file — a tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bound — certain
  21. mate — to breed
  22. firm — decided
  23. file — a document
  24. bound — obliged

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