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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. file — a line of people
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. file — a document
  7. current — happening now
  8. bore — to drill
  9. band — a music group
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. field — a subject
  12. wax — to grow
  13. current — electric
  14. file — a tool
  15. band — a ring
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hand — help
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. current — of water
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bore — to tire
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wax — in the ear

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