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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: land · perch · mug · wax · sharp · rush · current · staff

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. land — to come down
  7. mug — to rob
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. land — ground
  13. sharp — clever
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — hurry
  16. land — a country
  17. mug — a face
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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