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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: bay · file · suit · kid · wax · degree · calf · current

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. suit — clothes
  4. file — a tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. degree — from a university
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — an amount
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. current — electric
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. current — happening now
  14. file — a line of people
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. suit — to fit
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. degree — temperature
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kid — child
  24. suit — in cards

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