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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: pop · tear · object · current · bound · present · cabinet · wax

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bound — tied together
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bound — obliged
  7. object — an aim
  8. present — the time now
  9. current — of water
  10. tear — to rip
  11. object — a thing
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pop — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tear — from crying
  17. object — to protest
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — soda
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bound — certain
  24. current — happening now

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