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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. key — the most important part
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bank — for money
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. current — electric
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bank — of a river
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wax — to grow
  18. key — in music
  19. current — of water
  20. file — a tool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. file — a document
  24. current — happening now

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