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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 120 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: current · wax · temple · file · bass · degree · leaves · wake

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. current — of water
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. file — a document
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. degree — an amount
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. current — electric
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wax — to grow
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bass — low music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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