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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: hand · degree · deal · current · wake · stand · roll · wax

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. roll — a list
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. current — electric
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. hand — help
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. current — of water
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. hand — in cards
  18. current — happening now
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. roll — a cake
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. degree — temperature

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