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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 116 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: wave · bowl · mug · stock · wax · wound · stem · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stock — goods
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — electric
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. current — happening now
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stock — shares
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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