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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: pit · straw · wax · fork · present · plane · current · file

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. file — a document
  6. present — the time now
  7. fork — in a road
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. current — happening now
  10. plane — a tool
  11. current — electric
  12. present — there
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. current — of water
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — a gift
  21. file — a tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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