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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 116 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: track · pass · bulb · fan · file · wax · current · last

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. file — a tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. last — to go on
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — electric
  15. track — a song
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. track — a path
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — to grow
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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