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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. current — happening now
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. file — a document
  5. current — electric
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. land — a country
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. land — to come down
  15. file — a tool
  16. current — of water
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spring — a coil
  20. tear — from crying
  21. land — ground
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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