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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 120 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 · wind · bark · current · race · track · saw · game

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. current — of water
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wax — to grow
  10. game — a match
  11. current — happening now
  12. race — a contest
  13. track — a song
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. current — electric
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. game — wild animals
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. saw — the tool

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