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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 · wax · file · bank · fall · cabinet · hand · fine

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fall — the season
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hand — help
  6. file — a tool
  7. current — of water
  8. bank — for money
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — electric
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. current — happening now
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. file — a document
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bank — for money

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