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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: present · bear · wax · key · current · season · file · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. present — the time now
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. current — of water
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — there
  8. bear — the animal
  9. file — a tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. board — to get on
  12. current — happening now
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. file — a line of people
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a document
  18. season — of the year
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. key — the most important part
  21. current — electric
  22. season — in sport
  23. key — in music
  24. present — a gift

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