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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: file · current · object · court · kid · wax · mug · stick

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. court — of law
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. object — an aim
  5. current — of water
  6. court — for sport
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — to rob
  12. current — happening now
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a tool
  15. kid — child
  16. current — electric
  17. court — of a king
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. file — a document
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. file — a line of people
  22. kid — to tease
  23. object — to protest
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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