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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · wax · fork · fall · arm · shower · current · track

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. current — happening now
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bank — for money
  7. fall — the season
  8. current — of water
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. current — electric
  15. track — a song
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. shower — rain
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wax — to grow
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bank — for money

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