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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: bank · current · stand · plane · foot · wax · hand · sharp

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — a measure
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. current — happening now
  11. wax — to grow
  12. current — of water
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hand — help
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bank — of a river
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bank — for money
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. plane — in geometry

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