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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. current — electric
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pit — in a race
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — finally
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ground — a position
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ground — the earth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bank — for money
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pit — a hole
  22. last — to go on
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. last — final

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