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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: current · club · file · bay · spell · roll · swing · wax

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. current — electric
  3. club — for golf
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. current — happening now
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. roll — a list
  15. swing — music
  16. file — a document
  17. spell — magic
  18. current — of water
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. club — a 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