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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: current · wake · wound · firm · cap · bark · fine · wax

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. firm — steady
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — happening now
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — a company
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — of water
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fine — high quality
  19. current — electric
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fine — all right
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — decided

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