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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · cell · land · hide · mouse · fall · prune · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cell — a phone
  5. land — ground
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. current — electric
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fall — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fall — to drop
  23. prune — to trim
  24. current — happening now

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