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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.

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: hide · current · band · present · wax · fall · bore · mark

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. current — happening now
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mark — a trace
  11. band — a music group
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. current — electric
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fall — the season
  19. band — a ring
  20. current — of water
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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