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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · can · bank · wind · coach · kid · wax · current

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. current — electric
  3. net — after costs
  4. current — of water
  5. net — in sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. net — for catching
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. can — a tin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. current — happening now
  16. bank — for money
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kid — child
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wax — to grow
  22. kid — to tease
  23. can — a tin
  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