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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. file — a line of people
  4. current — electric
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. file — a tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wax — to grow
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fine — all right
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. file — a document
  19. current — happening now
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. swing — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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