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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.

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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: bass · firm · trunk · arm · wax · craft · row · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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 — of water
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wax — to grow
  7. firm — a company
  8. craft — boats
  9. row — a line
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bass — low music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. row — to paddle
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. current — electric
  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