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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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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: net · current · wax · tear · wind · bank · present · arm

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. present — a gift
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. net — for catching
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. present — the time now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tear — to rip
  19. present — there
  20. current — electric
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bank — for money

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