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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · wax · file · chair · mouse · nail · rush · firm

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. firm — a company
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. firm — steady
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. file — a document
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. firm — decided
  24. file — a tool

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