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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. swing — music
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. row — to paddle
  6. file — a document
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bass — the fish
  10. row — a line
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. current — electric
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. current — happening now
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bass — low music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. swing — in golf
  24. row — a quarrel

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