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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · mouse · mug · hide · wax · patient · current · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mug — to rob
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. current — of water
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — a face
  14. content — the amount
  15. current — electric
  16. mug — a cup
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. current — happening now
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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