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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: saw · net · fork · last · current · wax · dip · face

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. net — after costs
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — in a road
  6. net — for catching
  7. last — final
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to confront
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. current — of water
  12. face — to point toward
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. last — finally
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. current — happening now
  24. last — to go on

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