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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · season · current · pit · scale · wax · rush · spell

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. season — of the year
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. spell — a short time
  5. file — a tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. scale — size or range
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rush — hurry
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. season — in sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. current — electric
  15. spell — letters
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. file — a document
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spell — magic
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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