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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.

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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 · bark · cabinet · land · current · mug · bank · bass

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bass — low music
  10. current — of water
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bark — to shout
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — a country
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bass — the instrument

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