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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: march · current · dip · wave · arm · stand · wind · wax

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. current — of water
  7. dip — to sink
  8. march — music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. march — the month
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. current — happening now
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wax — for sculpting

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