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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: tube · wax · cap · charge · swing · lean · bore · current

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. current — happening now
  5. tube — a container
  6. current — of water
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — electric
  16. swing — in golf
  17. charge — in control
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. charge — a price
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tube — the underground

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