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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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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: wax · branch · calf · current · charge · land · bound · race

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. land — ground
  3. race — humankind
  4. land — to come down
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. branch — a division
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. land — a country
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wax — to grow
  15. race — a contest
  16. bound — obliged
  17. current — of water
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — happening now

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