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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 · cap · date · mug · wax · row · wake · jam

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — a hat
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mug — a face
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. current — electric
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mug — to rob
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. current — happening now
  23. wax — to grow
  24. current — of water

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