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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: file · game · bowl · rock · wind · wax · patient · current

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. file — a line of people
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rock — music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. current — electric
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wax — to grow
  21. current — happening now
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. current — of water

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