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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: deal · bound · present · current · key · can · wax · spell

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spell — letters
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. present — there
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. current — electric
  9. key — in music
  10. present — the time now
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. deal — to handle
  14. current — of water
  15. bound — certain
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. present — a gift
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. bound — tied together

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