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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · land · current · capital · bound · saw · wax · craft

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bass — low music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. capital — money
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. capital — a city
  12. land — a country
  13. current — of water
  14. land — ground
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — happening now
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. land — to come down
  20. current — electric
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bound — certain
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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