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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: wax · tube · race · wind · cap · file · rush · spell

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. tube — a container
  3. cap — of ice
  4. file — a tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. race — humankind
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — letters
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. file — a document
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cap — a hat
  23. race — a contest
  24. rush — 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