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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 116 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: saw · face · current · band · coach · file · wax · safe

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — happening now
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. file — a document
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. face — part of the head
  9. band — a ring
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — to confront
  14. file — a tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a line of people
  23. saw — the tool
  24. band — a music group

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