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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: jam · rest · can · wax · march · file · spring · cabinet

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. march — music
  5. spring — the season
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — of water
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. can — a tin
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rest — what's left
  16. march — the month
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rest — a break
  19. march — the month
  20. file — a document
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — a coil
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rest — what's left

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