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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
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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: bound · file · current · clip · wax · content · mouse · coach

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. file — a line of people
  6. clip — a video
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. file — a document
  10. wax — to grow
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. content — happy
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — certain
  15. current — of water
  16. content — the amount
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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