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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: lean · tube · branch · can · perch · current · safe · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — of water
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lean — to bend
  6. current — electric
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — a division
  12. lean — thin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wax — to grow
  22. can — a tin
  23. current — happening now
  24. safe — a strongbox

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