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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: stick · arm · mouse · file · current · shower · wax · toast

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. wax — to grow
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. file — a tool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a line of people
  15. toast — bread
  16. current — of water
  17. shower — rain
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. file — a document
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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