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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: mate · wound · wax · fall · deal · current · bank · hide

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — electric
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mate — a partner
  12. current — of water
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — the season
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mate — a friend
  24. current — happening now

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