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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 116 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: wax · pit · current · mouse · last · pass · kid · sharp

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. last — to go on
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. current — electric
  13. pit — in a race
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kid — child
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mouse — the animal

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