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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: branch · race · firm · current · file · jam · nail · wax

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. current — happening now
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. race — humankind
  9. wax — to grow
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. current — of water
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. file — a tool
  16. race — a contest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. file — a document
  19. firm — decided
  20. file — a line of people
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — electric
  23. branch — a division
  24. wax — for sculpting

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