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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: mouse · kick · rock · current · bark · cold · bank · wax

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — happening now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. rock — music
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — electric
  24. kick — a thrill

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