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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: straw · object · present · wax · current · plane · saw · roll

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. object — a thing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — an aim
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. roll — a cake
  10. present — the time now
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. object — to protest
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. present — there
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. present — a gift

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