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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 · row · patient · present · bowl · wax · snap · net

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. net — after costs
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. present — there
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. net — in sport
  13. current — electric
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. snap — to click
  16. row — a line
  17. current — happening now
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. present — the time now
  20. net — for catching
  21. current — of water
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. present — a gift

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