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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 · sharp · current · wax · bat · perch · rest · cabinet

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bat — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. current — of water
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. file — a document
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — to grow
  19. perch — the fish
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. perch — for a bird
  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