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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: lean · current · wax · mate · saw · spring · bear · rest

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. current — of water
  4. wax — to grow
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — electric
  14. lean — thin
  15. mate — a partner
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. rest — what's left

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