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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 116 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 · bore · deal · file · bound · bat · wax · content

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bore — to tire
  3. file — a tool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bound — certain
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bound — tied together
  15. content — the amount
  16. current — electric
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. current — happening now
  19. bat — the animal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. content — happy
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. current — of water

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