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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 120 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: current · kid · sharp · bay · wax · wind · root · tube

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. tube — the underground
  6. root — of a word
  7. tube — a container
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. sharp — clever
  10. kid — to tease
  11. current — happening now
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. current — of water
  18. root — the cause
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. current — electric
  21. kid — child
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. tube — in a tire

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