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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: rash · vault · current · saw · cold · file · pit · wax

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pit — in a race
  7. file — a line of people
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rash — hasty
  15. current — happening now
  16. file — a tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wax — to grow
  21. current — of water
  22. file — a document
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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