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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 120 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: stick · kick · wax · net · cue · current · file · mouse

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. current — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — electric
  15. net — for catching
  16. kick — in football
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cue — a signal

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