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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: hide · cold · wax · plane · charge · current · bore · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. current — electric
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cold — not warm
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — of water
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. charge — a price
  15. wax — to grow
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. current — happening now
  20. bore — to tire
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. charge — electricity

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