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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.

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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. current — electric
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. current — of water
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bound — tied together
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rule — government
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kid — child
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. bank — of a river
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — happening now
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rule — a law

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