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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bank — of a river
  18. file — a document

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