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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: suit · wax · cold · wake · toast · current · deal · arm

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. current — of water
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — to grow
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. toast — bread
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wake — a trail
  24. toast — the most admired

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