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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: bank · cabinet · wind · wax · present · prune · current · rush

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. current — electric
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bank — for money
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. present — the time now
  14. prune — to trim
  15. current — of water
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — happening now
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. present — there
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — a gift
  24. rush — a thrill

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