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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: nail · rush · current · mug · clip · bore · wax · leaves

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mug — to rob
  12. clip — to cut
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mug — a face
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mug — a cup
  21. clip — a video
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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