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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · current · lean · wax · snap · stand · bark · patient

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bark — to shout
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. net — after costs
  24. snap — to click

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