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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: current · wax · pitcher · board · wind · craft · wave · fork

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. board — a committee
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — electric
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — to get on
  19. craft — boats
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fork — in a road
  23. current — of water
  24. craft — a skill

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