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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: dip · current · file · arm · wound · lean · coach · wax

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. dip — to sink
  4. file — a tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wound — an injury
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a line of people
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wound — an injury
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lean — thin
  24. file — a document

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