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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: current · firm · object · plane · file · last · trunk · wax

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. object — to protest
  3. wax — to grow
  4. current — electric
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. last — to go on
  7. object — an aim
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. last — finally
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. plane — a tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. last — final
  23. file — a document
  24. firm — a company

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