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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: wax · shower · current · ground · bass · firm · calf · drill

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. current — happening now
  5. shower — rain
  6. current — of water
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. firm — a company
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. firm — decided
  12. drill — army training
  13. wax — to grow
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. drill — a practice
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. firm — steady

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