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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · current · wax · file · cap · toast · object · field

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. current — electric
  3. toast — bread
  4. field — a subject
  5. object — an aim
  6. field — farmland
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. cap — a hat
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. object — a thing
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. file — a document
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — to protest
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. field — for sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bear — the animal

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