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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
468
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: chair · present · file · calf · current · racket · wax · drill

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. file — a document
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — there
  5. drill — a practice
  6. file — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. current — happening now
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wax — to grow
  11. drill — army training
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. present — the time now
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — a leader
  17. drill — the tool
  18. current — of water
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. current — electric

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