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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 120 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: wave · wax · current · rest · file · scale · sharp · present

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. file — a line of people
  11. sharp — clever
  12. current — electric
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. present — the time now
  15. rest — a break
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. present — a gift
  20. file — a document
  21. scale — in music
  22. file — a tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. present — there

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