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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 116 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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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 · mine · wave · perch · wax · file · safe · fall

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — to grow
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — the season
  10. rule — government
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. file — a tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. file — a document
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rule — a law
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — to drop
  23. safe — out of danger
  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