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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. current — electric
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — happening now
  7. club — for golf
  8. wax — to grow
  9. file — a tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. current — of water
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. march — the month
  16. bark — to shout
  17. club — a group
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. club — for dancing
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bulb — for light

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