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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 · leaves · wax · craft · cue · mate · current · staff

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. craft — boats
  5. staff — a stick
  6. file — a tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. current — happening now
  9. staff — employees
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. current — electric
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. current — of water
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. file — a document
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cue — for pool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. leaves — of a tree

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