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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: file · ground · rock · bat · wax · deal · ruler · rush

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wax — to grow
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — the earth
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ground — a position
  15. file — a document
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a tool
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rush — to hurry

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