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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.

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: bass · swing · suit · wax · file · pit · current · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. current — electric
  3. file — a document
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. swing — music
  7. file — a tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. suit — in cards
  10. current — of water
  11. file — a line of people
  12. tear — to rip
  13. current — happening now
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. suit — clothes
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. swing — to play on
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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