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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. net — for catching
  3. current — of water
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. current — electric
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — after costs
  11. bank — for money
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — in music
  17. net — in sport
  18. band — a music group
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. scale — size or range
  23. band — a ring
  24. scale — for weighing

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