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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · bark · bound · plane · current · stand · hand · wax

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. hand — help
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. current — happening now
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bound — tied together
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bound — obliged
  19. current — electric
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bound — certain
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bark — of a tree

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