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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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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: file · march · dip · pass · current · mark · wax · wound

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. march — music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. current — happening now
  7. file — a document
  8. march — the month
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — electric
  11. file — a line of people
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mark — a grade
  15. file — a tool
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. current — of water
  22. wound — an injury
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pass — to succeed

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