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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: ball · wax · bank · current · craft · mouse · squash · lean

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lean — to bend
  3. current — of water
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. current — happening now
  16. wax — to grow
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. current — electric
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a dance
  24. craft — boats

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