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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: current · mug · kick · present · mouse · bat · wax · last

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mug — a face
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. present — there
  10. current — of water
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. present — the time now
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. current — happening now
  16. mug — to rob
  17. present — a gift
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. current — electric
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — in football

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