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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
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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: tear · wax · suit · field · prune · bay · current · scale

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. tear — from crying
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. scale — in music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. field — for sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. suit — clothes
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. field — farmland
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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