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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: file · fork · mine · rash · shower · wax · firm · court

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. shower — to wash
  5. court — for sport
  6. shower — rain
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. file — a document
  9. firm — a company
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. court — of law
  14. fork — in a road
  15. firm — decided
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. file — a tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. firm — steady
  24. court — of a king

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