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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: wind · file · wax · snap · pit · suit · charge · current

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wind — moving air
  4. snap — to click
  5. current — happening now
  6. charge — a price
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pit — a hole
  9. charge — electricity
  10. file — a document
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. charge — in control
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wax — to grow
  16. current — electric
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. file — a tool
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — moving air
  22. file — a line of people
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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