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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 116 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: spell · bat · cabinet · tube · bass · wax · current · firm

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tube — the underground
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — letters
  8. current — happening now
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bass — low music
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. current — electric
  14. firm — steady
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spell — magic
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bat — the animal
  24. tube — a container

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