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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. current — of water
  5. bank — for money
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. current — electric
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. current — happening now
  23. date — the fruit
  24. wax — in the ear

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