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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.

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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: suit · stem · sharp · trunk · bore · wax · current · club

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. club — a group
  4. current — electric
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bore — to tire
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. suit — to fit
  13. sharp — clever
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bore — to drill
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. club — for golf
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. current — happening now

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