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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spring · present · wind · current · face · mug · fall

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spring — the season
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mug — to rob
  5. present — there
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — a face
  9. spring — a coil
  10. current — happening now
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. spring — of water
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — of water
  15. present — a gift
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. present — the time now
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. face — to confront
  24. wax — to grow

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