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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: wake · cell · current · pop · pass · wax · bowl · arm

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pop — music
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cell — in biology
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. current — happening now
  16. pop — soda
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cell — a phone
  22. current — of water
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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