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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 · file · stem · current · pass · vault · calf · wax

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. current — electric
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bass — low music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. current — happening now
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bass — the fish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wax — in the ear
  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