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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: wound · current · cue · wax · jam · present · wave · track

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cue — a signal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. present — there
  13. cue — for pool
  14. present — a gift
  15. current — electric
  16. track — to keep track
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. present — the time now
  20. current — of water
  21. track — a path
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wax — to grow
  24. track — a song

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