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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.

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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: current · mug · board · wound · wax · mate · key · staff

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. current — electric
  3. key — for a lock
  4. board — a committee
  5. key — in music
  6. staff — employees
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. current — happening now
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — to rob
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wax — to grow
  21. board — to get on
  22. key — the most important part
  23. current — of water
  24. wax — in the ear

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