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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 116 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 · current · board · present · wax · stick · bark · fall

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. current — happening now
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. current — of water
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — electric
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fall — the season
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. board — to get on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — there

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