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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: clip · saw · current · bank · staff · wax · row · can

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — of water
  4. clip — a video
  5. row — a line
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — to be able to
  19. clip — to cut
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. can — a tin
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. clip — for paper

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